Russia enraged over new round of economic sanctions

Jul. 26, 2014
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Russian President Vladimir Putin stands with Federal Security Service Chief Alexander Bortnikov, right, on a boat after inspecting battleships during a navy parade marking the Victory Day in Crimea in May 2014. The European Union imposed economic sanctions against Bortnikov and 14 others involved in undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine. / Ivan Sekretarev, AP

by Alan Gomez, USA TODAY

by Alan Gomez, USA TODAY

Russian officials expressed rage Saturday at a new round of Ukraine-related sanctions imposed by the European Union, which targeted some of Russia's top security officials and many operating in and around Ukrainian territories.

The sanctions, announced by the EU on Friday, are designed to attack those who have undermined the "territorial integrity" of Ukraine. The new sanctions impose travel bans and asset freezes on 15 people, including the director of Russia's Federal Security Service, the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service and several members of the People's Republic of Donetsk, one of the Ukrainian regions controlled by Russian-backed separatists.

The new round of sanctions also targeted 18 entities in Donetsk and Lugansk that trained separatist fighters in those Ukrainian territories and orchestrated the "illegal referendum" for independence there in May. The announcement brings to 87 the number of individuals slapped with economic sanctions.

In a statement released Saturday, Russian officials said the sanctions undermine the work they've been doing with the EU on "international and regional security, including the fight against the spread of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism (and) organized crime."

"We are sure the decisions will be greeted enthusiastically by international terrorists," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Russia also used the opportunity to lash out at White House press secretary Josh Earnest over comments he made tying Russia to downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, in which 298 people were killed.

On Friday, Earnest praised the sanctions imposed by the EU and the United States, saying they had resulted in lower economic projections for Russia, prompted many Russians to remove their capital from the country and led the Russian Central Bank to express serious concern over the well-being of its currency.

But he also said that arms supplied by Russia to Ukrainian separatists not only fueled the violence in that region, but ultimately led to the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight as it flew over Ukraine.

"We are very concerned about the transfer of weapons and material from the Russian side of the border into Ukraine and into the hands of Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine," Earnest said on Friday. "That has fueled the violence and conflict that we've seen in Ukraine. Unfortunately, it has also had tragic consequences for citizens from countries around the world after the downing of the Malaysia Airlines jetliner.

"It is clear that Russia is more isolated than ever in this circumstance because of their aiding and abetting of Russian separatists who killed 300 innocent people," he said.

Russia called those statements part of an "unrelenting campaign of slander against Russia, ever more relying on open lies."